India hits back after Yunus N-E remark halts trans shipment facility for Dhaka

During his 4-day visit to China from March 26-29 the chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government professor Muhammad Yunus had remarked that with Northeast India being landlocked Dhaka was the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. In what seems to be a move after Bangladesh advocated for the extension of the Chinese economy into the strategically important Northeast India region New Delhi has terminated the transshipment facility for Bangladesh’s export cargo This step could potentially disrupt Bangladesh’s trade with Bhutan Nepal and Myanmar according to a notification issued by the Central board of indirect taxes and customs on Tuesday.

The 2020 circular had permitted the transhipment of export cargo from Bangladesh to third countries using Indian land customs stations en route to indian ports and airports to enable smooth trade flows for Bangladesh’s export to countries such as Bhutan Nepal and Myanmar.

The CBIC in its circular dated april 8 stated that it had rescinded its earlier circular dated june 29 2020 in respect of the transhipment of export cargo from Bangladesh to third countries through land customs stations to ports or airports in containers or closed-bodied trucks.

The seven states of eastern India known as the seven sisters are a landlocked region They have no direct access to the ocean Yunus said we are the only guardian of the ocean for this entire region. This opens up a huge opportunity It could become an extension of the Chinese economy-build things produce things market things bring goods to China and export them to the rest of the world he added.